Tangible Display Makes 3D Touchable

moon_monkey writes "Researchers in Japan have developed a display that makes 3D objects solid enough to grasp. The system, created by engineers at Japan's NTT, combines a 3D display with a haptic glove, making 3D items that look real but also feel solid to touch. Two cameras are used to image an object, to make the 3D image. A computer also uses this to render a solid representation. It could be used to inspect products remotely, or even to shake hands with someone on the other side of the world, the researchers say."

I don't see the new technology

[chenjeru]

From the photo, the equipment on the hand looks like stuff from Immersion Corporation (http://www.immersion.com). You may remember Immersion as the company who won a lawsuit for the vibration technology in the Playstation controllers. GameDaily Biz has branded them as 'Patent Trolls'. However, it may not be their hardware - in which case please skip the next paragraph.

The Cyberglove is a tight glove with flexion sensors to register finger position and thumb rotation. That would also lead me to believe that the haptic device is Immersion's CyberGrasp. The Cybergrasp uses an exoskeleton-like device with rings that fit over each finger joint give resistive force feedback to simulate 'collision' with an object. You can do your own Google image search for the Cybergrasp. It's almost always used with a CyberGlove. The CyberForce is a force-feedback armature for providing resistance in 6 degrees to the position of your hand. It's produced with technology licensed from SensAble Technologies.

All of these pieces of hardware have been around for years. The same applies with many flavors of 3D displays. I fail to see what the new technology here is. VR people have been doing this for a long time.